latest prayer requests (3/29)

If you are the praying type, please see below my prayer requests for this season. I would be greatful for any prayers you offer on my behalf. Blessings to you! This is a transcript of an email I sent to my prayer team recently. Love, Tiffani

Hello friends,

March. Wow. What a whirlwind of activity. I feel as though I am being swept along by a force not my own toward graduation. It a little unfortunate, because there is a lot to do before the semester ends.

I think I have made my decision about UCLA. I am waiting until I have one more conversation with a dean here at Baylor before I make a decision, I'm expecting the Lord to confirm what I have heard from two other counselors. In the meantime, I will wait to announce until then. Its difficult, because I want to wait until I have all the possible information - and that just isn't goin to be possible until after the deadline, so my decision will be made with the best information I can get in the short time left to me. Please continue to pray for me as I make this decision - that I would have discernment, and hear God speak.

In the desert wanderings, the Lord preserved the Israelite's clothing and shoes for 40 years. I often think of this miracle and of God's faithfulness. I sometimes wonder at what point their clothes and shoes did start to wear out - were the shoes just starting to fall apart in the last few months? Did this signal to the Israelites that their wandering was almost over? Did their shoes and clothes last in perfect condition until they crossed over into the promised land and then it all spontaneously combusted? Well, I am thinking about these things today, because I have seen God's faithfulness in so many things (especially in regard to provision of finances, etc, and the ability to live happily on very little) - but I am also starting to see the "wearing out" of some of these things as I approach this newest promised land: graduation.

Various things around me are wearing out - my sonic care toothbrush (which I purchased before heading to Greenville 5 yrs ago) will no longer hold a charge. Its ironic because I haven't had dental these last two years, but I will either this summer or fall, and I credit the Soniccare with my lack of cavities since arriving in Greenville. My car (which was a tremendous gift when I arrived in Waco) is starting to show signs of wear; for example, the driver door is acting kind of funny, the dashboard crack is bigger, etc. My finances are getting low and I believe will just sweep me into Phoenix after graduation. There are others, but I will leave them for now. Please pray that the Lord would continue to sustain me in all areas as I come to the end of this wandering.

All these things are reminders that this season of desert wandering is about to be over. Even as I battle anxiety about if my "clothes and shoes" will keep until I reach the land of promise, and as I praise the Lord for his faithfulness in this season, I am filled with great joy and sadness about the end of this season. These two years have been hard for me in all dimensions: emotionally, intellectually, physically, spiritually (especially), and financially - that knowing its almost over brings me great joy and gratitude to the Lord. But they have also been years that I found areas of great interest and excitement, met knew friends, deepened old friendships, and learned a lot about myself.

When I picked up my hood, cap and gown this week I could not stop giggling. It was so exciting to think that it was almost here and that this was like the evidence that the promise is going to be fulfilled! But then it adds stress thinking that there are only a few weeks left before I have to have my case study (our big final project) complete and that I still have to do statistics and complete a statistics final, write a law paper, read a ton of chapters, and write a law paper, and complete a paper on improving higher education access for transfer students (by this Wednesday). Please pray that I would be diligent, focused and sharp over these next days. Pray that I would use my time wisely and balance my relationships and personal time with my need for studying.

Thanks for your faithfulness in praying for me. I am grateful.